Boko Haram Spokesman Gets 3-years jail term… As Sect Threatens to Kill Whistleblowers

Huhuonline.com can report that the Spokesman of the Boko Haram Islamic sect, Ali Umar Konduga (a.k.a Al-Zawahiri) has been sentenced to three years jail term by an Abuja Chief Magistrate' Court. Konduga, who pleaded guilty to a 2-count charge of felony, criminal breach of public trust and intimidation through

  anonymous communication is to serve the prison term in the detention facility of the State Security Service (SSS).

 
After entering a 'guilty plea', he was summarily convicted by the Chief Magistrate, Oyebola Oyewumi of the Abuja Chief Magistrate' Court, sitting in Zone 2, Abuja, in line with Section 318 of the Criminal Procedure Code (CPC).

Recall that Chief Magistrate Oyewumi had stayed the sentence following a request made by the prosecuting counsel, C. I Osagie to the effect that, the SSS needed some more time to conclude its investigation and to establish an undisputed link between the convict and the 1st accused person, Senator Ali Ndume who is alleged to be the financier of the deadly sect.

Meanwhile, an attempt by one Barr. Regina Okotie-Eboh to raise objection to the jurisdiction of the court to try the accused person was turned down as the Magistrate held that the court was functus officio (bound by its decision), querying why she failed to apply via a written submission to be heard.

Barr. Okotie-Eboh had argued that, 'the court has the right to severe the trial of the accused person; the court has the right to strike out the First Information Report against any of the accused persons, in line with the provisions of the CPC, more so that counsel was in court but did not raise any objection.'

But Chief Magistrate Oyewumi held that 'In view of the plea for leniency and the fact that Section 302 of the CPC provides for a maximum of five years imprisonment, the court hereby sentences you to three years of imprisonment, and by virtue of section 303 of the same code, the convict will be kept at the pleasure of the government.

The SSS had stated in its First Information Report (FIR) that, 'on diverse dates between September 15 and December 3, 2011 in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) and Maiduguri in Borno state, Mohammed Ali Ndume and Ali Umar Konduga , did conspire to commit felony to wit (1) breach of official trust in that Mohammed Ali Ndume disclosed classified information by anonymous communication and the second accused person did intimidate some senior pblic officials including the AGF, thereby committed offence contrary to section 79, 98 and 398 of the Penal Code and punishable under section 99 (b) and section 398 of the same Act.'

Explaining further the Chief Magistrate noted that the 'mitigated sentence' was borne out of the convict's plea that 'the court should be lenient with me and consider me; I will help to give information that will bring the Boko Haram crisis to an end.'

The court however said it was persuaded by the argument of the SSS that, by virtue of section 302 and 303 of the CPC, the convict should be kept in the custody of the SSS, due to what prosecuting counsel, C.I Osagie referred to as 'the heightened security situation, as it relates to prison break in the country.'

The convicted spokesman of the Boko Haram, Konduga who had debunked claims by his father, Alhaji Sanda Konduga that he (Konduga) is insane said, 'I want the government to release our members that have been imprisoned as an incentive to bring the crisis to an end by laying down their arm, adding that 'Even though my father has a big responsibility towards knowing me according to the holy Quran, I know myself and I know I've not been insane before. In fact, I've never been to a psychiatric centre before.'

Against this backdrop,the Islamic sect has resolved to eliminate nine whistleblowers, who the sect considers as informants in Maiduguri, North East Nigeria .

Jama'atu Ahlis Sunnah Lidda'awati Wal Jihad a.k.a Boko Haram has   claimed responsibility for   saturday killing of Alhaji Borik Mondunga, a former Councilor of Maiduguri Metropolitan Coucil,.

He was assasinated by the sect last Saturday at a wedding reception 

Spokesman of the sect, Abul- Qaqa told reporters in a telephone conversation that Alhaji Borik Modunga was part of a ten-man gang of informants who engage in disclosing the activities of the sect to security operatives.

Abul- Qaqa who had on different occasion issued threats from the sect and made good such threat said the sect is still trailing the remaining nine informants and will soon eliminate them, even as he however denied exposing the informants, as according to him, revealing the informants will thurt their unrepentant target.

He however denied any linkage or responsibility on the shooting and killing of one person and injuring three others at a Duriya mosque on Sunday evening in Shehuri Tandari ward of Maiduguri Metropolis.